Design-led Innovation in the Government is Hot Around the Globe
Design Thinking, also called human-centered design, is the trending methodology for Governments around the world. While these concepts are not new, agencies are turning to them to solve their most complicated, messy problems. The methods inspire teams, spur creativity, and encourage experimentation.
More and more, the Government is taking notice. And achieving success.
Design Thinking both improves existing ideas and it can be applied to radically create new innovations to meet mission needs. In Canada’s Immigration Department, they are using a human-centered approach to shift the agency from an enforcement mindset to a client-centered approach thereby interjecting innovation into an established process and structure. Denmark has created an innovation unit MindLab, a cross-government unit that encompasses citizens and businesses in creating innovative solutions facing the government. The United States also created a foundation to drive government innovation Office of Personnel Management’s Innovation Lab.
To benefit from this trend, agencies don’t always have to adopt a full-scale Design Thinking or human-centric design methodology. Sharing stories about results can fundamentally shift an agency’s culture and encourage experimentation and risk-taking. Changing culture requires time and commitment, but can help agencies take a more wide, collaborative, and inclusive approach which leads to solutions, big or small, that from the start are human-centric, interconnected, and more likely to be innovative and successful when applied.
Whether rethinking a customer-service process, redesigning a checkpoint at the airport, evolving disaster response, or addressing a complex issue like immigration reform, Design Thinking calls for Government agencies to be empathetic and to focus on the end user. To do so, agency culture must be focused on the root-level wants and needs of their customers to fully embrace collaboration and experimentation.
Let’s share more stories of user-centered design success to encourage each other to continue to create a foundation and repeatable for government innovation for years to come.
About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. As a rapidly growing company, Arc Aspicio has a bold strategy for 2016-2018 that drives growth through new capabilities in strategy, design, human capital, data analytics, information sharing, cybersecurity, and strategic communications. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude – for its clients and its great team. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com
